Never Give In
by Mklaihai
Summary: When Mckay is captured - seemingly by the Wraith - Sheppard must launch a rescue mission to get him back. There are complications, however, and Sheppard may be in over his head this time. Unexpected allies, shocking discoveries, undying loyalty. Shep Whump. Slight Mckay Whump. Takes place a few months after "Common Ground". NOTE: ON HIATUS. I WILL CONCLUDE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I'm new to this, so I guess I should write something like "Property of Stargate Atlantis. No copyright infringement intended." Just a story that's been in the back of my mind for a while and I finally decided to write it down and post it. Does anyone even read SGA fanfics anymore? Haha. If anything, at least I can go back and read it. :D_

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><p>John Sheppard hurried towards the Gate Room, his shoes squeaking noisily on the floor. He was in his black uniform, vest and all, but his hair was rumpled, and his face was covered with overnight stubble, that made him look fierce. "Unauthorized Stargate Activation" boomed through his headpiece and wincing, he shook his head. Someone must have just opened the channel to speak to him.<p>

"Sheppard, to the Gate Room please." Doctor Elizabeth Weir's voice sounded in his ear, and tapping the radio, he replied, "On my way." His shoes squeaked noisily through the empty corridors, but he was tense. He had had a feeling that something wasn't right the night before, but had ignored it, thinking it was stress. But now... he was beginning to get worried. Teyla Emmagan had come pounding on his door a few moments before, and with a worried expression had told John that something was happening, and he should probably head to the Gate Room. He had immediately gotten dressed, and hurried towards the loud noises that echoed through the usually grey, still halls, before he had even been summoned.

It was early in the morning, and Sheppard stumbled with exhaustion as he maneuvered the quiet halls. His normally obstinately uncontrollable hair was - as usual - scattered in a disarray all over his head, and he had dark rings under his eyes. Walking swiftly, he reached the Gate Room just as the stargate whooshed and materialized. There were multiple people scattered around the room, all of them focused on computer screens, and control panels.

"Medical team stand by." He heard a familiar voice say, and his eyes roamed across the faces until they found who he was looking for. Hurrying over, he stood behind his Commanding officer, and peered over her shoulder.

"What's going on?" He asked, his voice rough from lack of sleep.

"Ah, John." Elizabeth Weir jumped, and her eyes briefly brushed his face before turning back to the screen she was staring at. "We have an Unauthorized Activation, Colonel. It's Lorne's IDC." Elizabeth's reddish hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she looked fresh, and ready to go, as usual. Her eyes were glued on the computer screen with an intensity that relayed her passion for the job, and her voice was firm, yet quiet.

"Lorne?" John was surprised. "Isn't he supposed to be with Rodney?" Mckay and Lorne had taken a small team to investigate some radioactive plantlife that had been reported a few weeks before, and were supposed to be gone for a few days. John had been gone at the time, but when he returned, he was glad. Rodney had been pestering Elizabeth about it ever since it was first discussed, begging to be allowed to investigate. John wasn't even sure if the report had been true, but Rodney would not be satisfied until he was certain. _Mckay_. He thought. _Always the scientist._

"Yes. We don't know anything else. Hopefully he will have some answers." Weir looked concerned, and glancing at John, she said. "You got here quickly."

He nodded. "Teyla woke me up a while ago, saying something wasn't right - her gut feeling again, so I headed here immediately."

"Hmm." She raised her eyebrows. "You look horrible." On closer inspection, John saw that she had lines under her eyes as well, and there was a deep abiding weariness that exuded through her always excited eyes.

He grunted, wryly. Leave it to Elizabeth to be blunt. "Thank you. I feel horrible."

Elizabeth lowered her eyes and ran her hand over her face. "I apologize for waking you, Colonel. I know you are exhausted, but I thought you should be here." She was a little surprised at his admission of weariness. John Sheppard was one of the strongest men she had ever met; he had a passionate vitality for life, an electric personality and a stubborn will. He rarely admitted to anything when it came to his own well being, however, making it necessary for Doctor Carson Beckett to insure that he was given a check up after every mission where injuries of any kind had been reported. The fact that he had admitted to being tired made her a trifle concerned, and she looked at him closely. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask if she should summon Carson Beckett to take a look at him, when John answered, waving his hand in the air as if to dismiss her apologies.

"Don't apologize." John smiled wearily. "I understand. I should be here. Besides, I'm just as anxious as you are to find out what is going on. I had a bad feeling about this research from the very beginning. But Mckay..." He rubbed his face with one hand, and stood up straighter. "Always the scientist. Had to investigate this one."

"He is indeed. I can only hope that they have decided to return home earlier than expected. That may be all it is." Elizabeth was still studying his face, her eyes taking in the way his shoulders were slumped, and noticing the dark rings under his eyes.

"Mm. I certainly hope so."

"Did you encounter problems with the rescue yesterday?" she asked, changing the subject, and turning to face him, while still keeping her mind on the problem at hand.

"No more than we expected," John replied, sighing. "The usual. Chasing Wraith, getting shot at, running for hours, ya know."

Doctor Weir nodded.

John rubbed his face as he remembered the grueling last minute mission they had embarked on the day before. They had received an urgent message from Teyla's village the day before, asking for assistance, as a few scouting Wraith ships had landed, and were moving closer to their position. While the Athosian people were skilled fighters, they were powerless against the powerful guns and strength of the Wraith, and Teyla had - of course - immediately asked permission to assist, and John had accompanied her, with half a dozen men. They had landed, and had been immediately attacked by the Wraith, who then turned and fled, forcing Sheppard and Teyla to pursue on foot. They had chased them for hours, before they had finally doubled back, and escaped in the darts, the whine of the engines slowly fading away as they disappeared into the sky. Sheppard had already been tired from a previous mission that he had gotten back from only hours before, but after that, he was exhausted - and frustrated - after the seemingly useless mission. Teyla - as usual - seemed to be just as energetic as she had been before the chase, and she had insisted that they stay and rest for a while before heading back. John had reluctantly agreed, but by the time they returned to Atlantis, he was bone weary, and had gone immediately to bed, muttering that he would give his report in the morning.

"Incoming wormhole!"

John turned his attention to the stargate, and a moment later, Lorne materialized on the other side. His uniform was ripped and dusty, and a trickle of blood ran down his forehead, like a red stream. He looked exhausted. Behind him, the remainder of the team stumbled through the gate, looking just as rough as their leader.

"Beckett," Elizabeth barked into her radio, before hurrying down the stairs to the Jumper Bay.

"On my way," The burly Scottish accent came clearly through the speakers.

"Lorne, what happened? Where's Mckay?" John hurried down the stairs towards him, and placed his hand on Lorne's shoulder. He was panting heavily, and a sheen of sweat covered his forehead. He seemed to be limping, as well.

Bending over, and placing his hands on his knees, Lorne drew in deep breaths. "Wraith… attacked us… couldn't make it back… to the jumper in time. Mckay," He paused, and exhaled, straightening up, before resuming "...was captured."

John felt himself blanch, and he took a step back. "What? How did that happen? Lorne!"

Weir placed her hand on John's shoulder, and spoke soothingly to Lorne. "Major, are you injured?"

"No," he waved his hand, as if brushing away a pesky fly. "I'm fine. I got knocked over in one of the blasts, and hit my head."

"Was it a culling party?" Elizabeth inquired, keeping her attention on his face.

"I… I don't know… There must have been quite a few of them, but they never even exited the darts. They just flew over, and targeted the general area, and then beamed Doctor Mckay up. They didn't even aim at me. It's almost like…" he paused, and wrinkled his forehead, "It's almost like they knew where Mckay was, and were targeting him specifically. They aimed straight for Rodney, and captured him, while we were still figuring out what happened." He blew out a breath of air, and shook his head.

"Why would they do that?" John directed his question at Weir, but she just shook her head, silently.

"Thank you, Major. You'd better head down the infirmary." At that moment, Lorne's knees buckled, and John grabbed his elbow to steady him as the medical team hurried forward and loaded him onto a gurney; the remaining medical personnel began attending the other members of the team. Elizabeth and John watched them disappear around the corner, and then turned their attention to the remainder of John's team that was just entering the room.

Teyla and Ronon Dex hurried over the where John and Elizabeth were standing, their steps swift, and worry written in the lines on their faces. "What is wrong?" Teyla asked, her level voice immediately calming John down a little bit. She had a calming effect wherever she went - it was one reason John had wanted her on his team in the first place; someone to counteract Mckay's nervous babbling. Ronon stood behind her, like a brown giant, his dreadlocks gathered around his face, augmenting his fierce appearance.

"Where is Mckay?" Ronon asked, his deep voice booming through the room. He was gripping his gun, and looked like he was ready to go to war. But that was nothing new. Ronon was a fighter - no battle was too big, no cause was to be abandoned. That's just who he was. A small smile curved John's lips upwards, despite the gravity of the situation. Ronon had a comical fierceness about him - his motto was shoot first, ask questions later. Sometimes John changed it to 'shoot first, _think _later'. It seemed to be his style.

"Mckay was…" Weir glanced at John before lowering her voice, "...captured. By the Wraith."

Teyla's wrinkled her forehead in concern, and Ronon blew out an exasperated huff of air. "Well, what has been done?" he demanded, his voice gruff. "Are you sending out a rescue team?"

"Ronon." Teyla's smooth voice interrupted him, and with a frustrated grunt, he fell silent.

"Not yet," Doctor Weir said, shooting a glance at Teyla before focusing on Ronon again. "Lorne came back, but he is in the infirmary - Keller says he may have a concussion, and he twisted his ankle."

"Do we know where Doctor Mckay is being held?"

"Not yet." John replied, turning to face Teyla. "But we'll find him. Doctor, do we have permission…"

"No," Elizabeth stated firmly. "Not yet. We need to debrief Lorne, and get all the facts. There were no signs of the Wraith on our detectors on that planet, and we had no reason to believe they ever visited there. How would they know just where to find Doctor Mckay? There are some things that need to be resolved, before you go off on one of your daring rescues."

"Wait," Teyla shook her head, "You think the Wraith were searching for Doctor Mckay, and wanted him specifically?"

"That is how it seems," Elizabeth wearily rubbed her hands over her face.

"How soon can we get going?" John asked, his fingers anxiously tapping his leg. The others in the room were focused on their tasks, leaving the small group alone, but Sheppard couldn't help looking around now and then to be sure no one was listening in on their conversation. He was very particular about things like that, born from years in the service.

"Be patient, Colonel." Elizabeth smiled calmly at him, although she too was anxious to recover Rodney. In spite of the fact that he was obnoxiously childish at times, and seemingly always right, he held a special place in the hearts of all those who knew him. "We will figure out where Mckay was taken, and then we'll go from there."

John nodded, frustrated, while Ronon looked positively ferocious. "If they so much as touch a hair on his head…" Dex said, his voice holding threatening implications, "I will…"

"Ronon. We'll get him back." John said firmly, looking at Teyla with barely concealed concern. She was keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead, with a troubled look on her usually stoic face, but as John's words, she immediately smiled convincingly. "Yes. We will get him back." But she was looking at John as she spoke.


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: My apologies for taking so long in updating this story - I actually forgot I had published this. I am currently working on finishing the story,, as well as a few others but here is another chapter for now. :) Thanks to those who reviewed; your words are motivation to keep writing. _

**Chapter Two **

Sheppard, Ronon and Teyla were standing outside the infirmary door, hearing the hushed conversation that was going on between Doctor Weir, and Major Lorne, and wondering what the delay was. "What is taking so long?" Ronon growled, pacing back and forth like a caged lion. "They should be done by now."

Teyla looked passively at him, her face unreadable as she stood calmly in one place, not moving. Her shoulder length hair was swept back from her angular face, and she looked relaxed, and well rested, as usual. "Be patient, Ronon."

"Patience! I can't be patient. We don't have time for patience. Those monsters have Rodney, and we are just sitting here, waiting for Major Lorne and Doctor Weir to stop chatting."

"Well, technically, we're standing," John said, opening his eyes. He was leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, and his eyes had slid shut a few moments before. "I'm sure they are only talking about things that are absolutely necessary." he said, his face wrinkling up in a half smile. "I don't think they're discussing the weather." John was just as impatient, and slightly frustrated; he had assumed he would be joining Doctor Weir when she debriefed Lorne, but she had stopped him when he had tried to follow her.

"Not this time, Colonel. You are exhausted. I want you to get some rest. I'll fill you in as soon as I'm done." She had smiled over her shoulder, but her face brooked no room for refusal, and John had sulkily rejoined the Teyla and Ronon, stubbornly ignoring her suggestion of rest. Usually his entire team would debrief someone after a mission gone wrong, but for some reason, Elizabeth had not wanted their presence. She didn't say why. So, they waited.

Teyla's face brightened in a smile, and glancing at Ronon, her eyes twinkled mischievously. He grunted, and looked away. Sighing, she looked back at John, and her eyes narrowed in concern. He was leaning against the wall, and his eyes were closed. He looked pale, and exhausted - the lines under his eye were darker now; as if someone had smudged coal on his skin. "John, are you alright?"

"Hmm?" He jerked upwards, and opened his eyes. "What, oh, yeah, I'm fine." He smiled, and straightened up. Ronon was looking at him now, and he rolled his eyes. "What? I'm fine."

Teyla raised her eyebrows, and her face was set in an unconvinced expression. She knew how stubborn this man could be, and she was going to press him until he admitted that something was bothering him. "You look exhausted. How much sleep did you get last night?"

"What? Oh, not much." Sheppard sighed, and drug his hand over his face slowly. "Didn't get to sleep until late - er, early - and got up early this morning.

"Why is that a problem? You run on no sleep all the time anyway." Ronon glanced at him, curiously. "Are you getting soft on us?"

"Uh, well, yeah, I do usually run on no sleep, but that mission yesterday really took it out of me. And I was still tired from the mission the day before." He glanced nervously at Teyla.

"John, you told me you were fine yesterday. The exact words you said were "Well rested, and ready to go"." She looked accusingly at him. "Why didn't you tell me? I could have taken Ronon."

"Ronon went too," John said, rolling his eyes.

"That is true. What I mean is, Ronon and I could have managed it."

"You know, without you." Ronon added, raising his eyebrows. John rolled his eyes, and Teyla smirked.

"Look guys, I'm fine!" John said, exasperated. "Just fine. I'm sure we'll get Mckay back by tonight, and then we can all sleep 10 hours."

"When do we ever sleep 10 hours?" Ronon asked, glancing at John out of the corner of his eye.

Teyla laughed. "We don't. Especially you." Sheppard shrugged. "John."

He looked up at her, and noticed her eyes were concerned.

"You've been pushing yourself hard. For 4 years. Don't you think you should get some sleep? You're of no use to us exhausted. And exhaustion leads to carelessness, and that leads to…" She trailed off.

"Death." Ronon said, firmly.

"Oh, please." John shrugged. Glancing back at his friends, he noticed they were still staring at him, unmoving. Sighing, he slumped against the wall, and closed his eyes. "Okay, fine." He raised his head and glared at Ronon. "Once we get Mckay back, I'll get some sleep. Okay? Now, can we be done talking about this?"

Teyla sighed. "Very well."

"Thank you."

Just then, Elizabeth walked out of the infirmary, and the team immediately gathered around her. "What did Lorne say?" Ronon asked., his eyebrows lowered in grim curiosity.

"He said there were 5 darts, and they flew immediately to a hive that was nearby, after they captured Doctor Mckay. They didn't even look twice at Lorne."

"They let him get away?" Teyla asked, narrowing her eyes.

"It seems that way."

"But why? You'd think they would have just killed Lorne, and taken Mckay."

"Wait, wait, wait a minute." John snapped his fingers, his eyes moving swiftly back and forth across the ceiling as he looked upwards. "It was only Mckay, and Lorne, right, with a few other men?"

"Yes."

"And the Wraith would have known that. So why did they make such a big deal about it? Say, six men? Why did have they 5 darts, and why did they make it so obvious that they were heading to a hive? It's almost like they let Lorne and the team get away, so he could come back and tell us."

Teyla nodded. "So, if we go to rescue Mckay, we could be walking right into a trap."

"Exactly."

Elizabeth nodded, her eyes downcast in thought. "But what would the Wraith want with Mckay? I could understand them wanting you, John, or Major Lorne, or even you, Ronon, or Teyla - all of you are vital elements in our work here, and you all hold a great deal of leverage and respect even among the other races. But why Mckay? Most people look at him as the annoying sidekick, although we know better."

"Do we?" John muttered, raising his eyebrows, and shrugged, glancing at Teyla who was the only one close enough to hear. She chuckled softly, her brown eyes glinting under the harsh light that illuminated the hallway.

Turning his attention back to Elizabeth, Sheppard nodded.

"Maybe we're looking at this wrong." Ronon said, stepping closer. He towered a good 4 inches over everyone else present, and everyone looked up at him as he spoke. "Sure, we are all good fighters, planners, pilots, but what does Mckay have that none of us do?"

"He is a scientist." Teyla said immediately. "He has great knowledge of the advanced technology in Atlantis, and all over the universe. He has great knowledge of everything in Atlantis."

John nodded. "Todd said the Wraith were developing new weapons - powerful weapons, but had encountered some snags. I'll bet that is why they need Mckay."

Elizabeth nodded. "You may be right. But what happens when - if - Rodney helps them? He gives them the information they need, they're not going to let him go."

"Absolutely not." John sighed. "They'll kill him, once he is no longer useful."

He was more worried than he would have admitted. Rodney Mckay, for all of his annoying habits, abrasively brilliant conversations and general arrogance, was an important part of Sheppard's team, and he knew Teyla and Ronon enjoyed his company as well - if only for the humor he brought to generally dull or dangerous situations. They all knew that, although Rodney complained loudly over every inconvenience, the man was stubborn, and strong. He had an underlying strength that only manifested itself in extreme situations. They all had their own ways of responding to pressure.

Ronon was defiant, and sullen - talking little, and glaring much. Teyla was calm, but extremely confident. John had seen her stare down more than one person who had come to 'inspect' their captives, when they had been in unpleasant situations in the past. Sheppard, well, he exuded confidence from his person with witty comments, and humorous comebacks that usually left the enemy staring, mouth gaping in surprise, but everyone knew of his redundancy, undying loyalty and bravery in life threatening situations. Mckay - he demonstrated his defiance by portraying a strong, mocking exterior, even though his voice squeaked so much in speaking, John was surprised anyone took him seriously. They had survived more hostage situations than anyone they had ever heard about, with minimal damage, but they had always been together. John - the leader, Ronon - the warrior, Teyla - the optimistic and loyal supporter, and Rodney - the brilliant and utterly annoying comedian.

John was worried that, alone, Mckay wouldn't be able to resist the Wraith.

Snapping back to focus, he looked at Doctor Weir. "Have you discovered where they were taken?"

"Funny thing about that, too," She looked puzzled. "They left trails - all over the place, that told us right where they were going." She paused, and looked around the small group. "We're trying to figure out why. It is most likely that it is a trap - that they are counting on you coming for him, and are wanting to capture all of you - especially you, John." She looked pointedly at Sheppard. "Or it could be, that they are counting on getting the information quickly, and want you to rescue him, so they don't have the… inconvenience of giving us another reason to attack them. They are still recovering from the past battle, and our sources have told us that are planning on laying low for a while." She sighed, and bit her lip thoughtfully.

"So. What are we to do?" Teyla asked, her voice calm.

"I say we barge in, get Mckay, and get out." Ronon said, firmly.

John rolled his eyes. "Dex, that would be your approach to any situation. I think we need to develop a more subtle approach. They could freak, and kill Mckay if we rush in, guns 'a blazing."

Ronon hesitated. "Good point." John hid a smile, and nodded, keeping his face straight.

"Do we have permission to attempt a rescue?" Sheppard turned to Elizabeth, his voice suddenly professional.

"Do you have a plan, other than 'rushing in, guns 'a blazing'?" Weir raised her eyebrows.

"Well, no, not yet." John said, screwing up his face in a comic expression. "But dangit, we gotta try something! Every moment that passes allows more and more time for them to break Rodney."

"Rodney would not betray us," Teyla protested.

"You know how… persuasive… the Wraith can be." John winced, instinctively rubbing his chest. "Koyla knew how to use them to persuade other people - and I'm sure they can be very persuasive on their own. And even though it didn't work that time, Rodney isn't as strong as I am." He winced again, his mind going back to the time when Koyla had used a Wraith to torture him, using his pain to attempt to sway Elizabeth Weir's decision when she had declared she would not trade Ladon Radim for Sheppard - backed by Sheppard's insistence that she not give in. He had nearly died, only to have his life returned to him by the Wraith after they had helped each other escape. The memories still came back to his mind, tormenting him, especially at night, but he ignored the thoughts and looked at his commanding officer.

All three of his friends were looking at him, their faces tense and pained, remembering the torment of having to watch him die, a little at a time, and being powerless to stop it.

John cleared his throat. "Look, my point is, I was trained to resist that."

"Wraith torture?" Ronon's voice was still hard, and Sheppard saw the memories swimming in his friend's eyes.

"Well, no. But torture in general. All I'm saying, it was easier for me, than it would be for Rodney, if in fact, it came to that…" He shook his head, becoming agitated. "Look, hopefully it doesn't come to that, but we need todo something, before it does."

"Agreed, Colonel. But how do you know you'll not be walking straight into a trap?"

"We don't. But it's a risk we'll have to take. We can't leave Rodney there."

Weir sighed. "Let us do a little research - I'll talk to Lorne again, and we'll decide what to do. Maybe we can contact the Wraith, and make a deal."

John nodded reluctantly, and glancing at Teyla and Ronon, he was the impatience he felt reflected in their eyes. "You'd better make it quick. We're losing time."

"I know, John. We'll do everything we can. Until then, maybe you should get ready to go on a mission. Best to be ready."

The team nodded as one, and turning away, they headed back to their individual quarters to prepare.


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: H__ey y'all! Sorry for the long delay again; I've been working on this story a lot lately, but haven't had internet access for 2 weeks, so as soon as I could, I came to post another chapter. :) Thanks for the reviews, readers; please keep 'em coming! I love hearing your thoughts. _

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><p>John, Teyla, Ronon and Elizabeth were settled in large chairs in the Control Room, settled in front of the screen while Zelenka typed furiously on a computer. "Zelenka, are you almost done?" Elizabeth's voice was tinged with impatience. They had been sitting here for close to 10 minutes while Radek Zelenka had fiddled around, trying to establish a connection with the Wraith Hive.<p>

"Almost there, I think…" the man muttered, under his breath. "If only Doctor Mckay were here, he would be able to do this in a jiffy. He must have changed some of the system processes, because it's taking me longer than expected to access this." His accented voice barely reached the ears of the others.

"Zelenka, if Mckay were here, we wouldn't be doing this in the first place."

The man looked up, his white hair wispy across his head, and his glasses pushed down on his nose. He looked a little ruffled. "Right. Sorry. I just thought…"

"Never mind. Just please continue. It is vital that we establish this connection before Colonel Sheppard takes his team out." Elizabeth sighed, and turned back to John.

"Are you certain this is a good idea, John? I mean, talking to the Wraith, and all… I know Todd has been useful in a few circumstances, but I still do not trust him."

"Trust him?" John coughed. "No. Not at all. But he generally tells the truth." Generally. "We should be able to use some of his information to contact this Hive, and enquire after Rodne - er, Mckay."

"Hmm." Elizabeth nodded. Looking over at the others, she studied their faces. Teyla was calm, and relaxed as usual, but Ronon was clenching and unclenching his fists with a murderous look on his face. She chuckled softly in spite of the gravity of the situation. Ronon Dex was someone you did not want to cross.

"DONE!" Radek exclaimed, triumphantly. "I've established contact. Now hopefully we can get them to answer us."

"Well done, Radek." Elizabeth said, standing quickly. "Open this channel, please, and make sure the video is on."

The computer screen wavered, and static threatened to drown all the other noises out, but finally, there was a click, and a face appeared on the screen. It was a Wraith.

"Why have you contacted us?" the Wraith snarled. The video was blurry, so the face was indistinguishable, but it was definitely Wraith. It's lips - if you could call them lips - were pulled back from it's sharp teeth with an expression of disgust, and anger. John walked closer to the screen, being careful not to step into view of the camera, and surveyed the background. It was obviously the control room of a Hive Ship, and the atmosphere was dark, with the undertone of red. As usual.

"I am Doctor Elizabeth We…."

"We know who you are, Doctor Weir. And we also know that Colonel John Sheppard, Rodney Mckay, Teyla Emmagan and Ronon Dex are most likely in the room with you." Teyla and John exchanged glances as the wraith said Mckay's name. The wraith repeated his question. "Why have you contacted me?"

The screen cleared, and those in the room saw the unmistakable face of Todd.

"Todd!" John exclaimed, his face darkening in surprise. Elizabeth raised her eyebrows in surprise and Teyla and Ronon glanced at each other, puzzled.

"Todd." Elizabeth nodded, her face stern. "Then you also know that some of your men have kidnapped one of our scientists - Doctor Rodney Mckay, and are currently holding him hostage."

There was silence for a moment, then the Wraith spoke. "I do not know what you have been led to believe, Doctor Weir, but Doctor Mckay is not on board this ship," The Wraith snarled, turning it's head sideways in puzzlement. "I confess, the genius of Rodney Mckay is well known throughout the Wraith race, but he is not here. I would tell you if he was. In fact, Doctor Mckay's genius is well known among the galaxy." John knew how much Rodney would have liked to hear that - the man was such a sucker for compliments. He smiled briefly, catching Teyla's eye. She smiled back, her lips turning upwards slightly, but there was still an appearance of tenseness around her lips. John turned back to the screen, and sighed. Where was Rodney when you need him? Of course, the very idea was silly – they needed Mckay here to help them figure out his own disappearance? John rubbed his hand though his black hair wearily. Still, in these areas, Mckay was irreplaceable.

"Our sources have placed him on that ship. He was taken by 5 wraith darts, and they headed directly to your ship. How can you tell me he is not aboard?"

The Wraith snarled again. "I do not know what your sources," he spat out the word "have told you, but there is no human by the name of Rodney Mckay on board this ship."

Elizabeth hit the 'mute' on the console, and turned back to Sheppard. "Do you think he is lying?"

John hesitated. "No. He cannot afford to lie to us. He is the only Wraith who we trust - or at least, endure - enough to communicate with. He cannot afford to lie to us. Especially not now."

"Then this does not help us at all. Where is Rodney, if he is not on board that ship?" Teyla leaned in, her brow wrinkled in concern. "No, I do not think he is lying, Doctor. But perhaps you can get more information out of him, if you do not let on that you believe him."

Nodding, and turning back to the screen, Elizabeth activated the mike. "Do you know if any of your darts have been stolen in the past months?"

"Why?" the Wraith snapped, narrowing his eyes. "Why should I help you, now? Doctor Mckay is of no use to me, nor do I care if he lives or dies."

"Because unless you prove otherwise, we have to believe that you kidnapped one of our men, and we are very… determined to get him back." Elizabeth's voice was slightly threatening, but her gaze was firm.

The Wraith raised his lip in disdain, but a glint of appreciation shone in his unearthly eyes, and after barking a question to someone close by, he turned back to the screen. "My brothers tell me we have lost many darts, as you call them, in the past month. There are 5 others that have not been accounted for. It is possible someone stole them."

"Five." John mouthed. There was something suspicious about this whole thing - he was beginning to think the Wraith were not involved at all. Perhaps someone intending to pass the blame off on the Wraith then to remain inconspicuous. But who, was the question.

"Do you have trackers on those ships? Can you track them?"

"It is… possible." Todd's voice rasped. "But again, the question. Why should I help you?"

"Todd." John leaned forward, his face appearing on the screen.

The Wraith's eyes widened in surprise, almost mirroring Sheppard's expression when John had seen the wraith's face flash on the screen moments before. "Sheppard," he said, his voice lowering to a growl. "You look… young." He chuckled to himself.

John's face was tense, but after a moment, his face stretched into a tight smile. He felt Elizabeth and Teyla wincing behind him. "Hmm. Funny. Yes, thanks to you. Listen, we think someone set you up for this - they want to make us believe that you kidnapped Rodney. And if you don't want to obliterated by those indignant enough to come after you, you need to help us, and help yourselves at the same time."

"Hmm," the Wraith grunted. "Why would someone do that?"

"Look, I don't know!" John raised his voice, and it became slightly impatient. "All I know is, someone has Rodney, and we intend to get him back. Can you help us, or not?"

Silence.

Then finally, "I will help you, John Sheppard."

"Good." John leaned back, relieved. "Can you track those 5 ships?"

"It will take time."

"Well, time is exactly what we don't have, so be as quick as possible."

The Wraith snarled again, but before the connection was lost, he heard Todd in the background barking orders.

"Whew." John leaned back in the chair, and closed his eyes.

"That must have been difficult, John." Teyla placed her hand on his arm. The contact was comforting. Although John would never admit it, it was rather disconcerting to come face to face with the Wraith who had - although somewhat inadvertently - tortured him.

"Hmm. Kinda." He opened his eyes, raising his right eyebrow. "But I think we can trust Todd. At a distance, at least." He chuckled at his own joke, but no one else laughed. The image of Todd torturing John was still engrained in their minds, and they were remembering the moments; trying to forget the last time they had laid eyes on Todd the Wraith. John raised his eyebrows curiously as he studied their faces, and seeing the mixture of relief, and pain displayed there, he shut his eyes again. "Humph."


	4. Chapter 4

"What is taking so long?"

Back and forth, left, right, left right.

"John, you should sit down." Teyla said, her brow wrinkling in concern. "You are exhausted. You will need all of your strength for the hours to come."

Back and forth, left, right, left, right.

"John." Teyla stood up from where she had been sitting, and walking over to her friend, placed her hand on his arm. He stopped pacing, but stood staring straight ahead. His eyes were bloodshot, Teyla noticed, and she was concerned for him. Sometimes this man just didn't know when to stop!

"JOHN."

"What?!" he said, finally turning towards her, his eyes focusing on her face slowly. His head ached, and his movements felt sluggish. It seemed to take minutes for Teyla's concerned eyes to come into focus, and the light hurt his eyes.

"You must sit down. You're going to collapse from exhaustion before we even start on the rescue mission for Rodney."

"I'm fine. I got plenty of sleep last night, and…"

He stopped, and looked at her, his eyes half lidded. His uniform was stiff, and starched, clean and ready to go, but the man wearing it was a complete contradiction. The lines under his eyes were more pronounced than they had been a few hours before, and every movement exuded exhaustion; he was barely able to hold on to wakefulness, and Teyla was almost surprised he wasn't asleep on his feet. "John," she said, softly, her fingers digging into his arm. "You did not sleep at all last night, did you?"

Sheppard took a deep breath, then exhaled, before shaking his head. "No."

"Or the night before?"

Hesitation, before the answer came. "No."

"When was the last time you got a good night's sleep, Sheppard?" Ronon had come up and was listening to the conversation, his bushy eyebrows seemed to be swallowing his face as he frowned, and now looking at his friend, he was surprised he didn't notice the level of weariness sooner.

"Oh, uh, I don't know. Maybe a year or two ago… why the sudden concern for my sleeping habits?" Sheppard asked, grinning, his teeth showing for an instant in a wide smile, before drifting away slowly in an expression of weariness. He sighed, exhaling a soft breath between his lips.

"Dangit, John, this isn't funny." Ronon gestured wildly with his leather-clad arms, his large form seeming to shrink the room around them. "You're exhausted, you can scarcely stay on your feet, and we have to attempt a rescue mission for Rodney in a few hours. You are in no condition to be running about, chasing Wraiths, and dodging bullets."

"Honestly, John. Please, tell us. Have you been sleeping at all?"

Silence.

"When was the last time you had a good night's sleep?" Teyla insisted, stubbornly. Dang, that woman could certainly be hard-headed when she had her mind set on something.

John sighed again, and Ronon shot a glance at Teyla. She was watching Sheppard with a troubled look on her face. "I haven't slept in 4 days. At all." He rubbed his hand over his face, causing his hair to stick up more wildly than ever, but Teyla saw that he had shaved in the previous hour. "There has been too much to do - with Rodney and Lorne gone, all their responsibilities have fallen on me. You have been busy, Teyla, with your own problems, and Ronon is always busy doing things no one else is strong enough to do." He huffed, slightly amused at the pleased look that came over Ronon's face. "We got behind, last week, with the power outage, and I'm still catching up. Now, I don't know how much longer I can keep going like this, but I'm sure as hell not gonna let Rodney rot in a Wraith dungeon. Or anyone's dungeon, for that matter."

"You have to get some sleep. Right now. Go." Teyla insisted, pushing him towards his quarters.

"No. We don't have time. I'll sleep later."

"Sheppard, she's right." Ronon came up behind him, and placed his large hand on his friend's shoulder. "You are of no use to us exhausted, and there is time. We will wake you the minute we hear anything from Todd."

"But…" John paused as Teyla frowned, pulling the corners of her lips down and scrunching her eyebrows in a fierce manner. _ Man, if looks could kill…_ he thought, as he raised his hands in surrender. "Fine. But I'm sleeping out here."

"Where, on the floor?" Ronon hooted. "Be reasonable, Sheppard. You need to be comfortable to get any sleep."

"What about the infirmary?" Teyla turned to Ronon. "Is there a quiet corner there he could rest?"

"I know just the place," the bear-like man said, his face brightening as a thought struck him. "Follow me."

A few moments later found John comfortably, although unwillingly settled on a cot in the quietest corner of the infirmary, out of sight of the main patient area, surrounded by a light curtain. "How do you know this was here, Ronon?"

"Curious, are you?" Dex chuckled, rubbing his fingers carelessly over his dreadlocks. He was quite pleased with himself.

"I must admit I am."

"When I'm not needed, sometimes I come here, and Beckett lets me sleep for a while. Man's gotta get sleep somehow."

"So, all this time, you've been sneaking out on us, and getting extra sleep?" John raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "I'm disappointed, Ronon."

"Well, now you know, and you can do the same. Right now would be a good time to start." Dex frowned over his shoulder at the Colonel.

"Alright, alright." He laid his head back down, and his eyes shut reluctantly.

Speaking in an undertone, Teyla turned back to Ronon. "Do you think the Colonel will be ready for this mission? He is exhausted – I have never seen him so weary. I am not sure if it is safe for him to continue. He could endanger the whole mission, as well as do harm to himself, or the team."

"I don't know." Ronon shook his head. "But I don't think you'll be keeping Sheppard from this mission. Not when it involves his best friend." Glancing around Ronon's shoulder - for it was too tall for her to glance _over _- she saw that the Colonel was asleep, his head lolled to the side, resting on his shoulder. He looked so young, so defenseless, so childlike - Teyla wondered how this gentle, fierce, quiet, demanding man had managed to appear so unbreakable all the time. Right now, he was anything but.

"He's gotta slow down, Teyla." Ronon's deep voice sounded loud even when he was whispering. "He's going to collapse one of these days, and then what would we do? Any of us."

"I know," Teyla said softly… and she really did. John was the glue that held the team together. He was the wit in any dangerous situation. He was the steadfast one, the loyal, the unbreakable. At least, she had thought he was unbreakable for so long, that seeing him now made her wonder if he was the same man. John was the foundation - not to mention, friend - to so many people in all of Atlantis. If anything happened to him, she didn't know what any of them would do.

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><p><em>AN: Little shorter chapter this time; I'm working on a few stories right now, but I'll try to keep up with this one, and post as often as possible. :) Thank you for your reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Tell me, what do <em>_**you **__think happened to Mckay? _


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Once again, I apologize for the delay... I've been pretty tied up with my other fanfic story (the H50 one) and I keep forgetting I actually posted this! Ugh, sorry. But here's the next chapter, and I hope y'all enjoy. :)_

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><p>Sheppard ground his teeth, his jaw tightening until he felt like his head would fly off and go bouncing around the room. Patience had never been his strong point, and right now he was chomping at the bit, anxious to get to his friend before he was injured, or worse, killed. The conversation with Todd had been… interesting. The Wraith had established contact a few hours after John had dozed off, and Teyla had immediately woken him, determined to keep her promise, although all she wanted to do was let him sleep.<p>

"We have traced the ships, and tapped into the intercoms," The Wraith had said, his cold eyes regarding Sheppard wit a steely look. "We did not understand much of what was said - it was spoken very tactically, but we did understand one name that you and I both know well, John Sheppard." The Wraith had bared his teeth in a feral smile. "Koyla." The Wraith coughed. " It seems these new weapons they have gathered are of a very complex make-up, and they need someone to decode something, so that they can be used." His words were guttural, as if he had chewed on them before spitting them out.

Now, John was pacing the room, listening to Elizabeth and Carson arguing in the next room - and he didn't need to ask to know that it was about him. Anger bubbled up inside him with a force that would have been dangerous to behold, if he had been in the presence of anyone other than his friends.

"John is exhausted," he heard the rogue voice of the doctor rise slightly, and John leaned towards the door, hoping to catch more of the conversation. Ronon and Teyla sat nearby; their backs leaned against the wall outside the infirmary as the voices inside wove back and forth in a dizzying dance of accents and pronunciation. "He will be a liability on this mission. You know this, Doctor Weir. Even if he could do any good, do you think Rodney would appreciate him going out in his condition?"

"This isn't about Rodney as much as it is about John," Elizabeth's voice was steely, determined. Of all the people who _could _question her authority, Carson Beckett was the only one who ever did, when it came to health concerns, and it usually involved the one and only Colonel John Sheppard. "John needs to be on this mission - Rodney is his friend, Carson, and you know nothing will keep him from it."

Carson didn't respond, but John knew that Elizabeth had won - as she usually did. He stepped back from the door quickly as footsteps approached, and Doctor Weir's face appeared. "John, you'd better get going. No one knows Koyla as well as you do, but if I know him at all, we don't have a moment to waste."

"So, let me get this straight, you're not worried about a trap now?" Zelenka asked, pushing up his glasses as he poked his head curiously around the corner. None of the people in the room had heard him approach.

"No," John answered, impatience tinting his voice. "Koyla is counting on us blaming the wraith for Rodney's disappearance. He'll expect us to be slow on the uptake of this one."

"Ohh." Zelenka's face was astounded; his eyes wide, and excited, and Sheppard shook his head. The man was almost as brilliant as Rodney when it came to wires, and electronics, but had absolutely _no _tactical reasoning. At least Mckay _could _think strategically, although he almost never chose to.

John raised his eyebrows, and glanced at Teyla and Ronon who had risen to their feet at the entrance of Weir. "Ready to go?" He asked, his face pale, but stubborn, as if set in stone.

"Yes, sir." Teyla responded, immediately adapting to the professional behavior now exuding from her commanding officer.

"Hold on a moment," Carson came through the door of the infirmary, carrying a syringe. "This will help you with your energy, John. It will only last for 10 hours, so be sure your mission to rescue Doctor Mckay doesn't last longer than that. The crash afterwards will be considerable." Before John could protest, he had plunged it into the man's neck, and pushed the plunger.

"Ahh, dangit, Carson!" John whined, clutching his neck. "I don't need adrenalin. Besides, you were just saying the other day how dangerous it was for people to use. And for blasted sake, warn people before you stab them with needles!" He screwed up his face in annoyance, still rubbing site, trying to dispel the sting from the needle.

"I believe the exact words I used were "dangerous for those whose only purpose is to enhance performance of fighting skills and avoid the need for sleep", John," the doctor huffed, ignoring the tone of his friend's voice, his chest swelling indignantly underneath his white scrubs. "What you need most right now, _is _sleep, but for you, this will actually help, although once it wears off, you will probably sleep for a week. If you insist on going on this mission, I must help you in any way I possibly can."

All Sheppard said was, "Humph," but he patted Carson's shoulder as he stalked towards the Jumper Bay, Teyla and Ronon not far behind.

"Dex," Carson said, just before Ronon disappeared from the room. The man looked back, his eyebrows raised questioningly. "Watch out for him. He shouldn't be going on this mission, and I'm worried it will be too much for him. He's physically exhausted, not to mention mentally."

Nodding, Ronon turned and hurried after his friends, but his steps were slower than they had been, and concern was etched onto his brow. _I'll have to watch Sheppard carefully, or he could get us all killed._

* * *

><p>"Do we have a plan?" Teyla was sitting in her usual spot in the puddle jumper, her eyes fixed on the horizon. Sheppard's eyes were focused on the screen before him; his face tense in concentration, and Ronon sat beside him, in Rodney's usual spot, his dreadlocks hanging over his shoulder and a large gun in his hands. He looked as tense as Sheppard, but his gaze was focused <em>on <em>Sheppard, rather than on their destination. Teyla had heard Carson's warning to Ronon, and determined to keep a close eye on the Colonel as well - he was more exhausted than he was letting on, and the stress he had been under lately had seriously weakened his immune system. His eyes were alert, however and his body was tense, ready to spring into action at any moment.

"Yeah," The Colonel nodded, never breaking his concentration. "Get in, get Rodney, get out."

"You're not getting reckless on us, are you, Sheppard?" Ronon rubbed his face and looked at his friend out of the corner of his eye.

"No, of course not." He smiled slightly, but Teyla thought it looked like he had slept in it and pasted it on for show. "This is one of those missions we can't really plan out, because we don't know what we're getting into. Goodness knows what is going on it you Koyla's mind, but you can be certain, it's a trap." His voice was firm, and steady but both Teyla and Ronon glanced at him in surprise and alarm.

"How can you be so sure, John? Do you know something we do not?"

"No. You know everything I do," Sheppard lied through his teeth, keeping his face blank. He knew something no one else knew – plans he himself had made when the rest of his team thought he was getting ready for the mission. He knew what he was doing – and he knew the consequences to himself, but he had to keep Teyla and Ronon in ignorance as long as possible, as much as he hated to. Shaking his head, he continued. "But you do not know Koyla like I do. He will stop at nothing to reach his goals - and I'm thinking this is a trap for me; I don't think Rodney is in any danger at the moment."

"Do we have a more specific plan?" Ronon was suspicious. He had a feeling there was something Sheppard wasn't telling them; something important. And he wanted to know if John was truly ready for this mission; but at the moment, it didn't matter if he was ready or not – they were walking into the lion's jaws. They could only hope there was an escape and evade plan to fall back on, when the jaws started to close.

Teyla glanced at Ronon in surprise. He was more of the 'charge ahead - take what comes" kind of man, and he scarcely ever made plans, or followed orders. She opened her mouth to comment, but she suddenly realized: Ronon was testing John's ability to lead - to see if he was capable of make difficult decisions, and doing the hard thing. She almost smiled. _Way to go, Ronon. Make him mad, make sure he is determined, and we will succeed in this mission._

To her surprise, John didn't even respond to the challenging tone; he merely answered, "I don't know what their defense looks like, so we'll have to play that part by ear." John touched the screen, and made a few adjustments. "I think I know where he is being held - Elizabeth commented that the coordinates Todd gave us are very close to the spot where I was found, after…" He paused, and cleared his throat. "After I escaped from Koyla. I'm guessing Rodney is being held in that same spot. I know my way around the place pretty well." His voice was dripping with sarcasm, and Ronon grinned, but his brow was wrinkled in sympathy.

"We do not know if Koyla is expecting us?"

"Oh, he's expecting us. The only thing in our favor is he doesn't know _when _to expect us. He's arrogant, but he's not foolish. His plans are well thought through, and carried out with precision. This could end very badly." John wrinkled his brow, and muttered under his breath, "Yes, this could end very badly indeed."


End file.
